Wind farm could blow $15 million into Oakfield

By Elna Seabrooks
Staff Writer
    Voters in the town of Oakfield will vote next Monday, Sept. 28, on whether or not to proceed with a planned wind farm project.
    If residents do not put a moratorium on the plan, First Wind will be able to proceed with its wind-to-energy project, pending approval from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and Oakfield stands to gain $15 million in new revenue over 20 years.
    The vote comes after months of meetings and assessments of noise and health consequences that resulted in guidelines the town and First Wind have developed.
    Jim Sholler, a resident who chaired the Wind Farm Review Committee, said he expects a favorable vote and it “will change Oakfield forever.”
    Sholler said he supports the wind farm and is hopeful that the benefits to the town are enough to offset any negative change to the aesthetics of the area.
    A $5 million community benefit fund over 20 years means homeowners already getting the homestead exemption will receive a check between $800 and $1,000 a year, according to Town Manager Dale Morris.
    And, Morris added, a new revenue stream will flow into Oakfield totaling about $10 million from taxes on land and equipment, also over 20 years.
    Thirty-four wind turbines similar to the ones First Wind constructed at Mars Hill and those near Danforth  (Stetson 1) will reach a total height of 388 feet when a blade is at its apex — high enough to be seen from Interstate 95.
    Sholler said the committee learned from the experience of the earlier two wind farms in northern Maine and put in place enforceable strategies to deal with decibel levels, ice being thrown from the blades and other potential problems like wear and tear on the blades. In his opinion, Sholler said, the Oakfield guidelines could be a model for other areas considering similar projects.
    First Wind and Oakfield spent $90,000 on consultant fees with First Wind paying 70 percent; Oakfield paid 30 percent of the fees. Ken Kaliski of Resource Systems Group, Inc., Jonathan Edgerton of Wright-Pierce and town attorneys Andy Hamilton and Jon Pottle met regularly with the committee in developing the guidelines for the wind project. Morris and Sholler agree that the meetings went well and were productive in arriving at a consensus on the new venture.
    According to Alec Jarvis, development associate for First Wind, the proposed development of the Oakfield project will produce “the equivalent energy to power 25,000 homes annually.” But, that power will not directly benefit Mainers since it will go to the New England grid serving Massachusetts and Connecticut. First Wind, an independent Massachusetts-based company, will complete construction in 2010, according to Jarvis, when financing of about $130 million and all approvals are in place. And, Jarvis says, First Wind may also apply for stimulus money in addition to investor and bank financing.
    Oakfield resident Todd Kozlowski has reservations about the wind farm and said “fighting it is a losing battle because too many people are for it.”
    He also said people are not informed.
    “It will wreck the beauty of the area. They are going to hack the ground to put in a road to move the wind mills. Who would want to stare at something that’s 400 feet in the air?”
    As for Marion McKee, also a resident, she said she has no opinion at all. “I know nothing about them. I stay in my own place. I can’t get around good.”